How would you deal with...

[Sat Monkey]

How would you deal with an unruly possibly violent customer?

I have to do a service call tomorrow for a guy that was a bit on tilt the last time I saw him during the install.
Now he is having some problems and has been totally pissed off by dish CSRs and tech support.

Dish gave us the service call so I have to go there and take care of it as we are the dealer of record for his install.

One thing you should know is , all we did was install the receiver as the last renters had dish and everything was there to hook to the dish.

With that said. How would you handle a person like this?
I wish I had a taser or mace just for my piece of mind.

Mike

 

[KAB]

What is that?

 

[dak32]

Kill him with kindness, then kick his dog on the way out.

 

[Sat Monkey]

Huh?

What is that?

Whats what?

Mike

 

[radtech]

You could give the bouncer from the local bar $20 to ride with you on this call. He could be your trainee.

Or, if the guy gives you any trouble tell him your going to your vehicle for a part and don't come back. After all, they can't expect you to work in a situation where your personal safety is at risk.

Ed

 

[Sat Monkey]

Huh?

What is that?

What is what?

If you mean my comment about the guy being on tilt during the install.

He seems unbalanced and I had to keep one eye on my work and the other on him as he seemed to be one second away from snapping about anything that might have been said. Kind of like a Gary Busse type.

Mike

 

[tulsa agent]

if he gets irate, pretend like your not bothered by it. then start to make it look at what his dish, and say let me go get a replacement part from my truck and drive off. notate account cancel w/o.

 

[3HaloODST]

Bring a pistol?

 

[lakebum431]

I'll be honest. If I was an installer I'd keep a pistol in the truck all the time and have it in my pocket when I thought I needed it. I don't envy you guys going into some of the situations that you are asked to go into.

 

[Jim5506]

First step is to have someone else with you, both as reinforcements and as a witness.

Second keep your demeanor as calm as you can and your words to the absolute minimum, do not react to anything he says.

Fix all you can then show him that it is fixed, get the WO signed and leave.

Who knows, he may be all sweetness and light this time, we all have bad days.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I woud have rejected the trouble call, and taken the $100 chargeback and let someone else deal with it.

Your safety is way more important than this customer being able to watch his Television.

 

[papalittle]

I always carry my stun gun in my van and if I feel threatened I will put it in my pocket.

 

[vaylon]

If your by yourself and the customer goes nuts. Tell them whatever it takes to calm them down. Then make an excuse to leave, like "I need to go get you a new receiver". Get in your truck an go.

Then contact dish an explain that you have an unstable customer and that you recommend canceling the account immediately.
Then they will look at all the notes on the account from other CSR's and agree.
All done and the customer can go to Direct.

 

[Sat Monkey]

Well i got out alive and unharmed.
The customer was still all jacked up on the poor service he got from the Dish CSR's and blamed me as a "Dish Tech" when I work for a retailer and not Dish directly.
I did not matter how many times I told him "I am just the guy with the tools" He still saw me as Dish Network and felt the need to rant at me because he had to pay $15 dollars to dish to service their equipment.

I did walk into his apartment with a claw hammer hanging off my tool belt just in case.

I moved the dish that was not installed by us and added an off air antenna to get his OTA channels as a courtesy to the customer.

I hope it is the last I see of this raving loony.

Mike

 

[eurosport]

Bring a pistol?

Yep...my first thought was "pop a cap in him" if he gets nuts...self defense ya' know!

I did walk into his apartment with a claw hammer hanging off my tool belt just in case.

But a well placed blow, with the business end of a claw hammer would also be very effective!
...Glad it turned out OK and you're safe.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Yep...my first thought was "pop a cap in him" if he gets nuts...self defense ya' know!


.

I wouldn't advise that since your in the customers house, and on his property.

Self defense would be hard to prove, with only your word against his whole family. While in the home of the guy you shot.

 

[Sat Monkey]

Nawww Maaaan. the last time I carried a pistol on the job was when I delivered pizzas 15 years ago in North Chicago.

I have never felt the need since.
But this guy is like a pit bull, and as far as I am concerned, you never turn your back on one.

Mike

 

[Ronnie-]

Id tell him that he only smells tough, then spit in his eye, so he knew I meant business.


Glad it turned out ok.